Take heart! Numbers of middle school students interested in learning more about other faiths, keeps growing. Take the latest Peace Camp organized by the Children of Abraham. They drew their biggest group in three years.

 

Fr. Corey Brost, CSV, who founded the Children of Abraham Coalition in 2010, and Br. Peter Lamick, CSV, accompanied the young people during the camp, but it was the young board members who organized the event.

“They were eager to show these middle school students how to change the world,” Fr. Brost said. “Salaam, shalom, peace.”

Students visited a synagogue, mosque and a church in Chicago’s North and Northwest suburbs.

At each stop, they received a tour as well as a presentation about each faith tradition and important artifacts from their religion. For example, at Temple Chai, they learned about the Torah and heard a portion chanted, while at the mosque they observed the Qur’an being recited.

“Studies show that anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and hate groups are on the rise,” Fr. Brost added. “People just don’t become like this. They are raised in fear and prejudice from an early age.”